EuroVolleyW 2023: The Netherlands and Italy fly to Brussels for Semifinals

The Netherlands and Italy grabbed the Semifinal's spot by defeating Bulgaria and France in Quarter-Finals at Palazzo Wanny in Florence. Now the two teams will fly to Brussels for the upcoming Semifinals on 1st September

Last night of EuroVolley 2023 in Italy, with the last Quarter-Finals at Palazzo Wanny in Florence. The last acts of the tournament will start next friday 1st September at Paleis 12 in Brussels with the Semifinals, and will finish next sunday 3rd September with Bronze Medal Match and Gold Medal match.

It was a great show on tonight in Firenze with two emotional Quarter-Finals, with undefeated The Netherlands versus Bulgaria, and undefeated Italy versus France.

The level of Volleyball is getting higher and higher in this Quarter-Finals, and The Netherlands and Italy showed to be real contenders for the Gold Medal in Brussels.

The Netherlands played an impressive game, by dominating the game since first set, won 25-11, then winning second and third 25-13 and 25-19, showing personality, power and focus, clinching a well deserved access to Semifinals in Brussels.

Best scorer for The Nethelands was Juliet Lohuis with 19 points, while the best for Bulgaria was Radostina Marinova with 10 points.

Enthusiasm at Palazzo Wanny for Italy, who stunned French girls with authority, starting first set 7-0, with a couple of aces by Alessia Orro and a couple of blocks by Anna Danesi. In the end of the set the Azzurre amassed 6 blocks, winning 25-14 the first, showing great strength and power, putting immediately the game on their track.

Second set was more balanced with France who played good Volleyball, keeping the lead until 18-15. Davide Mazzanti put on court Paola Egonu, who drove the Italian team to a 21-20 lead, but the game was still balanced, going to the extras on 24-24. Italy saved a couple of set points, then gaining the advantage at 28-27 and closing the set on 29-27 with a monster block by Elena Pietrini.

With Italy in front 2-0, Davide Mazzanti’s team played once again a great volleyball, taking an early lead in third set on 10-3 with a good performance of Captain Myriam Sylla, who stepped up in the crunch time of second set and in the third, won by the Azzurre 25-13, and driving Italy to the seventh win in a row at EuroVolley 2023, clinching the Semifinal’s spot without losing a set.

In the upcoming Semifinal Italy will face on friday 1st September at Paleis 12 in Brussels the winner of Quarter-Final between Türkiye and Poland, while The Netherlands will face the winner of Serbia-Czechia.

Get ready for the last games of EuroVolley 2023, the top four teams of Europe will play each other in Brussels, but in the end only one of them will lift the trophy.